This is a discussion on What kind of travel destinations do you prefer? within the Travel & Local Interests forums, part of the General Chat category; I am a baseball junkie so most of my destinations include seeing games while there....

Right now I'm considering moving to China for a year to teach ESL, and I'm looking for places that have similar characteristics to why I chose Los Angeles, and even the place I live now in the Pacific Northwest.

I would say that includes a really solid mix of climate and natural attractions (I prefer South China over North China because I'd rather live through humid, pouring buckets monsoon season and pack my rain gear than have nosebleeds in summer and freeze in the snow in winter) and I don't want a city that's overly large and overly polluted (this factored into my preference to move to Los Angeles rather than New York or Chicago when I was younger).

I don't know how I'd answer your poll then, because actually the primary thing I seek is either a smaller city or a more sprawling suburban city (like LA) that has a lot of things like hiking and beaches, as well as history/culture. I'd really like to take a vacation to Chengdu I think even if I didn't decide live there, because it has a mountain that you can climb and see one of the first Taoist temples, as well as the world's largest Buddha carved into a mossy hillside, the largest number of endangered giant pandas, plus cool little tea houses to hang out and drink tea or beer/wine and soak up the city culture. Guilin seems cool, but more explicitly nature hikes, geology, karst topography, lakes, etc...so I think ultimately I will probably focus on Chengdu if I live there long term because while Guilin is beautiful and has a better climate, I also suspect it could get boring to someone without a partner or family there. Definitely seems my kind of place, though.

Other places I've been like Toronto, Ojai, Big Sur, Big Bear, St. Louis, Las Vegas, and Phoenix don't have a particular common thread. In more recent years I've chosen places for being hiking, camping, backpacking, nature places, but when I was younger I was definitely interested in seeing a variety of American culture. I hate Vegas, if that adds anything to my response, and if I ever went back to AZ I'd hit up Sedona, not Phoenix. Toronto is very clean. It's a novelty. Kind of like wanting to see Singapore since people get caned for spitting on the street. I sometimes fantasized about doing that to people in LA.

If I do end up living in Chengdu or Guilin, I would try to visit the other, since they're both in the southern region of China, and maybe also see some other places in the Southeast Asia like Mongolia and Tibet. Japan seems nice too, apparently you can take a ferry between Japan and China, but Tokyo leaves me cold for the same reasons as Beijing - frankly they seem like nightmare dystopian cities to me. Bigger is not necessarily better. I might go to somewhere like Okinawa, which frankly though seems a lot like Hawaii. My gramps lived in both places.

Do you like the big cities, where there's always lots to do, places to shop and sights to see?

Big cities are my preferred vacation spots. I enjoy sight seeing and love architecture, and big cities offer that. Plus there are always things to do in a big city.

Do you like the smaller towns and countryside, where there's a more relaxed setting, often more historical and cultural sights, and it's easier to get to know the locals?

I grew up in small towns and absolutely hate them. Perhaps its due to the fact that the towns I lived in had no history or culture, and the locals tend to be very cliqué-ish. Bisbee, AZ and Nashville, IN are two that I wouldn't mind visiting.

Do you like the vacation spots, where you'd just like to sit down and unwind or enjoy the local bars and clubs to party?

Neither. I've never been too fond of partying or bar hopping, and I have a low threshold for boredom, so sitting still isn't my cup of tea either.

Do you like the natural destinations, where you get to hiking, backpacking, scuba diving like a true adventurer?

I love hiking and would love to go scuba diving, but not so much that I'd make a vacation over it. Those are things I'd do in my spare time.

I love to visit big cities, because of how they tend to feel like a completely self-contained world. I live in a very small city, basically just a town, and I often have to travel to the next town over to get things I need, whereas if you live somewhere like London you'll never ever have to leave the city, and their way of life and way of getting around is so different to mine. No-one even needs to drive, they've got the tube and buses that are completely different from the Stagecoach buses I'm used to. I find it all so fascinating, so close by yet so different. I'd hate to live in London but I always love visiting it. Then you've got slightly smaller but still interesting cities like Bristol and Brum. Bristol's a beautiful place, and it has the restaurant that is my favourite place in the world. I found a classic game shop my first proper time in Birmingham and immediately fell in love with the city as a result.

Plus cities tend to have lots of cool things to see and do, and lots of pretty lights, big-ass decorative structures, lots of landmarks. And you can find some pretty nice and unusual shops and restaurants there.

I mostly voted big and major cities in terms of transportation convenience. For most places that travel through, I get around by bus, trans-continental train, metro rail, or Uber/taxi. Such things aren't that easy to access in smaller cities unless you build a trusting connection with a local taxi driver.

Smaller cities are great for when you want to escape the annoying crowds. Major difference between Kuala Lumpur versus Malacca in Malaysia. Or Bangkok versus Chiang Mai in Thailand.

Most of my natural spots have been in the US and the Middle East: mountains; waterfalls; valleys. Then, living in some cabin up in the mountains sounds pretty tranquil...or at least having a cabin as some sort of getaway spot. But, I would be screwed in terms of daily transportation—especially when riding down a mountain, which can be pretty rough if you aren't much of an expert.

Natural spots or small towns. I was never crazy about big cities to begin with but I've gotten downright city-phobic as I advance into decrepitude. Can't take all the people. That and 21st century airports have been big obstacles for me.